How did half-inch car dent grow to four inches?

Toms River resident Nancy Kaczor was surprised when Hyundai told her to pay $247.50 for a four-inch dent on her leased Hyundai, a dent that an inspector had said was only a half inch and thus meaningless.(Photo: THOMAS P. COSTELLO/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)

Their leased red Hyundai Sonata was in excellent condition when Toms River residents Ted and Nancy Kaczor turned it in this past March.

Sure, there was a small half-inch dink on the rear driver's side door. But that's just normal wear and tear, right?

So, imagine the Kaczors' surprise when a third-party inspector's report noted a door dent measuring three to four inches, not a half inch. It would cost $247.50 to repair and the Kaczors would have to pay it. With other lease-related fees thrown in, it would all cost $881.50.

"It was a total shock when I received the bill, especially since the car was kept in perfect condition," Nancy Kaczor wrote in an email to Press on Your Side.

Press on Your Side helped to put the brakes on any repair charge and Hyundai Motor Finance drove an extra mile for the Kaczors, too.

The Kaczors returned their leased 2011 Hyundai Sonata to Lester Glenn Auto Group in Toms River on March 21 and leased a 2014 GMC Terrain. Their old car had 46,198 miles on the odometer, which would result in a $243 charge for excess mileage.

A notation on the odometer disclosure statement described a half inch dent on the rear driver's side door. A "wear and use estimation tool" provided by Hyundai Finance described dents under one inch as "acceptable."

But a later condition report by Alliance Inspection Management noted a "door dent" with no paint damage. It was three to four inches long, the report noted.

That triggered a charge and the Kaczors got a bill. Besides the $247.50 repair, they also were hit with a $400 disposition fee and the excess mileage fee of $234. The fee for going over the mileage in their lease was the only thing they agreed on.

Photographic evidence

Pictures of the damage noted in the report were black and indistinguishable, Nancy Kaczor said. But color photos taken by the couple when the car was turned in did not show a large dent.

The Kaczors sent Hyundai Motor Finance a letter noting the odometer disclosure statement description of the half-inch dent. They objected to the disposition fee as well, a fee that can be found in a car lease but one they didn't know about.

"It is my hope that the Hyundai organization will provide good service, and make the necessary corrections in order that this claim can be settled amicably," the letter stated.

Nancy Kaczor also contacted Press on Your Side. "We've been leasing cars for many years and we've never experienced this terrible issue," she wrote in an email.

Press on Your Side reached out to Hyundai Motor America to help clear up the confusion over the dent. A spokesman said the company would look into the Kaczors' complaint.

A manager from Hyundai Motor Finance sent the Kaczors a letter which acknowledged the problem and removed the $247.50 wear and use charge. The company went further and removed the excess mileage and disposition fees as well, leaving them with a zero balance.

Apology issued

"In reviewing the documentation you provided, we are going to waive the excess wear and use charges from your final invoice," states the letter, which the Kaczors shared with Press on Your Side. "As a token of goodwill for taking the time to communicate the discrepancy, we will also be waiving the disposition fee and excess mileage charges, reducing your final invoice to $0.00."

The manager also apologized for the inconvenience. "Hyundai Motor Finance is committed to providing our customers with excellent service and your satisfaction is important to us," the letter states. "Without customers like you, holding us to the highest level of customer service, we would not recognize where we have the opportunity to improve our processes."

Thanks to Hyundai for taking the extra measures to satisfy the Kaczors. The resolution left Kaczor quite happy.

She was grateful of the help from Press on Your Side. "Thanks again for all your help," she said. "You saved us a good deal of money."

Happy to help. Enjoy your new car!

Do you have a consumer problem that needs solving? Contact business writer David P. Willis: 732-643-4042, pressonyourside@app.com or facebook.com/dpwillis732